The conventional charging cable does not include built-in self-detection capability. However, in the fast charging application, the large-current charging is becoming a trend. Under large-current charging, the recharging cable ages faster and causes increase in the recharging cable. Moreover, the cable may dissipate heat due to increased impedance under large-current charging and the cable is prone to melting cause short-circuit and leading to great potential hazard.
Furthermore, the conventional recharging cable does not include capabilities of self-diagnosis and storage of historic impedance changes. The source end for charging neither knows the loss condition of the recharging cable to estimate the reflection point of ageing, nor able to estimate the over-heating risk of the cable. The cable is unable to notify the user for future replacement of the cable. For charging efficiency, the source end is unable to perform efficiency charging based on the real-time impedance-temperature characteristics and perform appropriate calibration accordingly.
Taiwan Patent Number I571022 “Electronic Device with Circuitry to Detect the Insertion Orientation of a Plug Connector and Related Method” is related to I/O of an audio connector and data connector, and discloses a bi-directional connector, having a connector protruding part with a first and a second main sides disposed opposite to each other, and a plurality of electric contact points carried on the connector protruding part. The plurality of contact points comprises a plurality of first contact points formed on the first main side and a plurality of second contact points formed on the second main side. The plurality of first contact points and the plurality of second contact points are symmetrically separated, and the connector protruding part is molded for exhibit 180° symmetry so that the connector protruding part can be inserted in one of two insertion orientations and operatively coupled to a corresponding slot connector.
Taiwan Patent Number I563365 “Device Charging over USB Using a Plurality of Handshakes” is related to charging the device by using a plurality of handshakes. A first device can provides a first handshake to a second device. A device of the first device type can be configured to charge the battery based on the first handshake under the circumstance of lack of further communication. The first device can monitor a connection to the second device for a second handshake corresponding to a device of the second device type. In response to detecting the second handshake, the first device can provide a response to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device of the second device type can be configured to charge the battery based on the second handshake.
Taiwan Patent Number I560955 “Breakaway Mechanism for Charging Cables of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations” discloses a breakaway mechanism for charging cable of electric vehicle charging stations, comprising: a fixation assembly and a breakaway assembly. The fixation assembly is to fix to the charging station and the breakaway assembly is to fix to the charging cable. The charging cable passes through the breakaway assembly and comprises the charging cable connected to the connector of the charging station. The breakaway assembly can be adjusted to disengage from the fixation assembly under a default pull force so as to break the connection between the charging cable and the connector of the charging station.
Taiwan Patent Number I479755 “Charging Cable Plug for Connecting Electric Vehicle to a Charging Station” discloses a charging cable plug for connecting electric vehicle to a charging station. The plug device comprises a shell for connecting to the electric vehicle or electric contact point of a connection device, which is connected to the shell, of the charging station, and a code writing device disposed inside the shell for amp value of current transmitted by the charging cable. The invention is further related to a system comprising a charging cable and a charging station and/or an electric vehicle and a charging cable with the plug device. The purpose of the invention is to provide higher safety for over-heating. The objects of the invention comprise: a code writing device disposed inside the shell for amp value of current transmitted by the charging cable, a temperature detection device disposed at the shell, an evaluation device for calculating a value of a temperature calibration code, and a communication device for transmitting to a charging current control device.
In addition, the conventional recharging cable only concerns the interface specification for charging, such as, USB interface, with neither consulting the characteristics of the device at the sink end that receives the charging, such as, the battery characteristics of the electronic device, nor power-saving. The role played by the recharging cable is only to provide the voltage/current required for charging between the source end and the sink end. The recharging cable is unable to take into account the battery characteristics of the electronic device and power-saving criterion to perform more efficient charging. Also, the recharging cable cannot perform voltage/current detection on the source end and the sink end for more efficient charging.
In other words, for the conventional recharging cable, many issues, such as, how to perform collaborative computation based on the detected real-time voltage, current, temperature information, and device under charge to estimate a real-time cable impedance information; how to provide the detected real-time voltage/current to the source end to facilitate the source end to perform efficient charging based on the device characteristics under charging; how to take into account the current over-loading and over-heating risk to adjust charging current/voltage to provide better protection to the charging cable and extend the life span of the cable, how to estimate a real-time impedance information of the cable, in combination with non-volatile storage of historic impedance data of the cable to estimate the reflection point of impedance caused by cable ageing to provide subsequent protection mechanism and improve charging efficiency to notify for cable replacement based on self-diagnosis result, are imperative objects to be addressed.